Famous Dave's Tanning Mousse - Gold Edition

This happens to me every year; the sun comes out and I absolutely panic at the state of my body. Wax, scrub, tan, STAT! I have a love/hate relationship with fake tanning. I love being tanned and glowy, but I can't deal with prancing about in a state of undress waiting for it to dry, and essentially losing a whole evening. Does anyone remember the St Tropez ad campaign from a few years back, of the naked lady doing 'the John Wayne'? Well that sums up fake tanning for me.

Or it did, before I discovered Famous Dave's! I saw this a few times in Superdrug and absolutely baulked at the £28 price tag, but when I saw a box set in the Debenhams sale for only £11.33, I snapped it up. And £10 on my beauty reward card? Don't mind if I do.

Contained within said box set, was the Gold Edition Tanning Mouse, Famous Dave's Body Buffer and a run of the mill tanning mitt. Didn't think you needed to see that, you've seen one, you've seen 'em all. I'll start with the Body Buffer. I'm not usually a fan of coconut scented products, but oh my, this stuff is summer in a bottle. It smells absolutely incredible - not even slightly artificial. I like my exfoliants to actually feel like they're doing something, and this hits just the right note. It's not too aggressive, but it does have some bite. I find that not only does it pave the way for a smooth application of the tan, but it also helps it to fade evenly. Concentrate on your knees and elbows and it really does banish those pesky darker bits. Coming from Mrs Dry-Elbows.

The mousse itself is just, oh my. It applies like an absolute dream; a little bit goes a long way, in terms of both distance and colour. It smells really pleasant to begin with but, like all other fake tan, does develop a biscuity smell. I find that when I wake up in the morning, I smell like an actual packet of Digestives.

I'm always disappointed with a lot of fake tans in that the guide colour is way more impressive than the actual results, so I was nervous to wash this off. There was absolutely no reason to be, it leaves the most beautiful dark golden brown colour, something I could only achieve with two or more applications of other products. Someone at work told me I looked like I'd had a week in the Caribbean. Yes, success! The colour stays for about 3-4 days, depending on what you use in the shower, and fades really evenly.

The amazing thing for me about this mousse is it's drying time. It dries so quickly! Pretty much while I'm still applying it, which in my eyes can only be a good thing. I haven't even felt the need to sleep on a towel. I can't abide lying in bed at night feeling all fake tan-tacky and unable to move too much. This dries in record time and I can throw my pajamas on five minutes after and watch Made in Chelsea. The convenience of this wholly justifies the price for me. 

While the price tag might put people off, I will most definitely be re-purchasing this, on sale or not. I'll never use another fake tan again! Famous Dave, keep on doing what yo' doing. 

And cue instant hilarity, my boyfriend is called Dave.